Pentecostals and ecumenism: becoming the church as a pursuit of Christian unity

Abstract

Following a brief account of the history of Pentecostal approaches to Christian unity and ecclesiology, the article suggests that Pentecostals offer unprecedented promise for the development of a viable ecumenical ecclesiology, because their pursuit of Christian unity is inextricably linked with the formulation of their own identity. Pentecostal ecclesiology and ecumenism therefore have to be considered mutually conditioning endeavours. A short survey of Pentecostal participation in contemporary ecumenical affairs illustrates this proposal. The final part relates the results of the preceding sections to the promise of an ecumenical ecclesiology emerging from the diverse phenomenon of global Pentecostalism. The Pentecostal movement is in many regards a manifestation of a broader ecumenical crisis that includes the language, structures, organisation, comprehensiveness, and reception of existing ecumenical conversations.